


... as those who will not see.

by liars_dance



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2014-01-10
Packaged: 2018-01-08 05:38:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liars_dance/pseuds/liars_dance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follows <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/217094">There are none so blind...</a> Faramir comes to his senses; but is he too late?</p>
            </blockquote>





	... as those who will not see.

"You look tired, my lord."

"Faramir... I am busy at this time, and yes, I am tired. Can this not wait?" 

Faramir stands with his back to the door as if to bar the king's way. "No, Aragorn - it cannot." 

Aragorn sighs and sits down on a chair by the fire. "Very well… of what do you wish to speak?" 

"I should have thought that plain. I wish to speak about yesterday."

"And what if I do not?" Aragorn asks softly, not looking up. "What then, my steward?"

Faramir ignores the question. "Aragorn. Please. I know you are in pain. And much of that is of my doing. Forgive me," he whispers.

Aragorn sighs again, rubs his eyes and looks up. "There is nothing to forgive, Faramir. Some things are not meant to be and you cannot help the way you feel any more than I. That is the way of life, so do not trouble yourself further on my account. Go now - leave me..." 

Faramir sees the tiredness in Aragorn's face, the pain in his eyes. "Do not trouble myself? I hurt you - and you are hurting now. Otherwise you would not be trying to push me away. My..."

Aragorn interrupts him with a wave of the hand. "You do not have to say any more, Faramir." He gets up and crosses to the window and looks out over the plain. "Go..."

"But.."

Aragorn turns quickly, his eyes bright with tears. "No, Faramir! I do not _want_ to hear any more. Because since they were spoken, your words to me yesterday are all that I have heard. I want to forget those words and ease this piercing twist of pain in my belly and in my heart. I want to erase the memories of our making love - knowing now that your thoughts were only of him. I want to clear from my mind the image of your face in pleasure for it was, as you said, just a sham - a pretence." A single tear falls down Aragorn's cheek and he pushes it away roughly with his hand. 

Faramir leaves his position at the door and approaches Aragorn, his arms outstretched as if to embrace his king, but Aragorn shakes his head and turns back to the window. Faramir stops in the middle of the room, his throat full of tears. He looks at Aragorn's shoulders and sees that they are shaking and wants so much to go to him and hold him, but knows he cannot.

"Aragorn, please... my words yesterday were cruel and unjust. And no one is more undeserving of them than you - all you have ever shown me is love and understanding and I repay you with pain. Even if the words were true, they should not have been spoken. I am ashamed to have said them."

"I said enough, Faramir. Say no more." Aragorn's voice is softer now, but rough.

"But I must, because my words were not true. I am sorry, Aragorn. Please let me show you how much."

Aragorn turns from the window and looks directly at his steward. "No, Faramir, I do not need your regret, nor indeed your pity. I just want…" Aragorn pauses and his voice drops lower. "I just want you to heal; you have lost so much of late and I do not think you have yet come to terms with that loss. But above all else, Faramir, I would wish that you find happiness."

"After all I that I said to you yesterday, you would still wish that for me? Does this mean I still have your love?"

Aragorn smiles sadly. "Faramir - you think that my feelings for you would change in the space of a single day? Of course you still have my love. You will _always_ have a special place in my heart, as will your brother."

"Yet you speak as if that love is past, done, forfeit."

Aragorn's voice rises slightly again. "Only because I believed you had no need of it! You said you could no longer pretend - that you wished Boromir in my place. I do not understand you, Faramir. Sometimes it is as if you are a stranger to me."

"I was wrong when I said that. I know that now," Faramir whispers, moving closer, his eyes locking with Aragorn's. Aragorn inhales sharply and his gaze softens. Faramir sees the change in Aragorn's eyes and his heart begins to pound a little more in his chest.

"I need you to understand, Aragorn. I feared loving you," Faramir continues softly. "And because I feared it, I fought it and took solace in my brother's memory." 

"You feared loving me?" Aragorn's voice is almost too quiet for Faramir to hear, even though they are stood now face to face.

"Yes - I feared it because if I loved you, I would lose you - everyone else whom I have loved has left me. My mother, when I was little more than a baby, my father more recently - though in truth he was lost to _me_ from the day my mother died. And of course, my brother - Boromir - who was there for me always, until fate sent him to you." 

Aragorn raises a hand to stroke Faramir's cheek and smiles. "But not all who love you leave. You have the love of your wife, the armies and people of Gondor and your king. You are loved by many; not in pity for your loss, or for want of another, but for yourself - for the person you are." 

"Yes. And I am thankful for it." Faramir places his hand over Aragorn's on his cheek and holds it there. "But I would trade it all just to see the light return to your eyes."

Faramir can feel Aragorn's body trembling and he can see tears forming in those beloved dark blue eyes. He hears Aragorn sigh and swallow before he speaks.

"Why would you take such a step?"

The words Faramir has wanted to say tumble easily now from his lips. "Because I hurt you and I cannot bear that. I have been blind and selfish and a fool, because I thought that loving you meant I was being unfaithful to Boromir. You are flesh and blood and warmth but Boromir is, as you say - a memory, a cherished memory. And I was wrong to think of him as anything more than a mortal man, as much as I loved him. Boromir would not have wanted me to do so. He died that day because it was his destiny to do so, not because you could not save him - he died with honour and I am glad that he was looking into the face of one who loved him as much as I when he died. I am so sorry, Aragorn."

Faramir pauses and swallows with difficulty, blinking back his own tears as he looks at his king. Never before had he seen Aragorn so unsure, so vulnerable... 

"Aragorn, I have wanted to tell you how I feel, but something always prevented me from doing so. The words seemed to choke in my throat. But not any more." He pulls Aragorn's hand to his lips and kisses it softly. "I love you," he whispers against the king's hand. "I did not realise just how much until I saw the light go out of your eyes. I never want to see you like that again. Forgive me, Aragorn. Please." Faramir returns Aragorn's hand to his side and lets go.

Aragorn nods, his eyes never leaving Faramir's. "Of course," he whispers hoarsely.

Faramir moves closer sliding his hands up Aragorn's arms and onto his shoulders. "I love you," he murmurs, rubbing a finger tenderly across Aragorn's bottom lip before taking Aragorn's head in both hands and kissing him softly on the mouth. "I love you," Faramir repeats and kisses away the tears on Aragorn's cheeks. "I love you," he whispers and licks Aragorn's lips ever so softly - stroking, caressing, teasing. 

Aragorn sighs and parts his lips, allowing Faramir's tongue to slide gently inside his mouth to continue to tickle and tease. He moans softly, feeling his heart beginning to pound in his chest and he leans against Faramir, returning the kiss, his hands lifting from his sides to rest at his Steward's waist. 

Faramir pulls back slowly, looking into Aragorn's blue eyes, still bright with tears, yet dark with desire.

"Aragorn," he whispers. "You say sometimes it is as if I am a stranger - but I am a stranger who knows every inch of your skin; please tell me that you still love me - that you still want me." 

Aragorn smiles and pulls Faramir into a tight embrace. "Always, Faramir - always."

\-- [END] --


End file.
